Aging Or Lack Thereof
by Tankou001
Summary: On Earth on his last bounty hunting run Jet meets a familiar looking stranger. Will this familiar redhead find a way to make him relive his younger years, and can he come to love her like she soon loves him? JetxEd M Swearing, Drugs, and Citrus later
1. An Old Friend

Aging Or Lack Thereof

An Ed x Jet Fanfic

Hey all! Tankou001 here with a new story. "Aging Or Lack Thereof" is a story where Ed, and Jet meet ten years after spike dies at the end of the series. I never knew Ed's actual age in the series, but I assumed she was twelve. That makes her 22 in this story. As for Jet I recall him at one point saying that he was 38 so he would be 48 in this ^_^

For any of you who are getting the idea that Jet, and Ed are too distant in age I have the remedy for that in the story, and it ties into the whole thing, and the namer is a dead giveaway that there is stuff at work too ^_^

Normally I use the classic Japanese name styling where the given name comes last, but it seems better in this story to have the western style of naming

Let's start on Earth ^_^

Chapter One: An Old Friend

Jet wandered groggily down the stairs toward the station. It was a hard run for a bounty hunter like him. Fay Valentine had run off just three years before to get into no good, and spike had died ten years previous. Jet, of course, was getting on in years, and that alone made him a less likely person to bring in the cash. As far as Jet knew Ein, and Ed had left ten years ago as well after Ed's father who was studying meteor showers or something like that. Whatever kept Jet going even he had no idea, but there was something inside of him that would just not let him give up. Forty-eight, and still Jet was working his ass off for minor bounties that he could hardly keep up with. His latest bounty assignment was on Earth, and Jet knew very well that nothing good ever came from Earth.

Jet looked up at the old ship Bebop, and sighed. What was he to do about it. Bebop had slowly decayed in the last ten years. No part on the open market would be made for Bebop anymore, and Jet was about ready to just give up his career, and retire. He had enough of a regular cash flow to keep himself alive, though not quite comfortable for the rest of his life. Some of the Jupiter police force wanted him for a desk job. Why not? All of his old partners were there anyway.

A sudden bark could be heard at the docking station, and a small dog came up to Jet. Oh how the dog reminded Jet of old Ein, who was no doubt too old to really run anymore. It was a welsh corgi, and had all of the same markings, exactly identical. It's rear wagged back, and forth a bit as it tried to wag the tail that it lacked. Slowly the old man that was Jet leaned down to pet the young dog, and a call could be heard. "Ein! Get over here, you mischievous dog!" A giggling woman with wild, mid length, red hair ran up. Small framed glasses adorned her face, and she wore a small cord around her neck that held a flash drive, and an adapter for some sort of display. "I'm really sorry, sir. He gets into trouble a lot. I was just taking him out to play, and he ran off toward you. Please excuse the disrespect."

Jet looked at the woman for a bit, and shook his head in disbelief. She looked exactly like Ed, only with a much nicer body, and a definite addition to the chest department. She wore a white lab coat loosely on her shoulders, but aside from that she only wore skin tight black shorts, and a white shirt that cut off just above her belly button. "It's... It's no problem... In fact, could I talk to you for a bit? Maybe you could thank me by getting me some coffee, or something like that."

The woman only smiled, and raised an eyebrow, but shrugged shortly thereafter, and nodded. "Alright. I know a good place around here that serves coffee. My name is Francois. I am a researcher for the Earth government." Francois held her hand out to shake Jet's, letting go of Ein, and letting the dog sit down finally.

Jet reached out with his old hand, and shook Francois' hand, and smiled. "My name is Jet. I am a bounty hunter. Sorry if it seems strange, but you seem so familiar. About ten years back I knew a little girl named Edward. She named herself because she had no real family, and was the best hacker I knew, but what perks my interests most of all is your dog. I used to own a dog with the same name, but he went off with Ed ten years back. Of course this puppy couldn't possibly be him."

Francois looked a bit nervous, and shook her head, smiling. "Of course not. A dog that old would hardly be able to walk, and a Corgi like Ein here only has a fifteen year life expectancy normally. At least we see eye to eye on that. I wish I could help you out with this... Ed, of yours, but I can't say I ever knew someone with such a weird girl name."

Francois slowly led Jet to her noted cafe, and the two sat down at a small table. It seemed a nice cafe for something that was on Earth, but Jet really was amazed at how alike Francois was to the old Ed that he remembered so well. She looked about the same age, and everything, she even had the same kind of dog. However, that couldn't be the old Ein, and Francois had even said that she didn't know of any Ed. "So how long have you been working for the government? Care to give out anything that you do in your job?"

Ed blushed a bit, and shook her head. "The information that you would be asking about is classified. I do not have the permission to tell you about any of it. I can tell you, however, that it is for the good of this world, and all of humanity. My employer is a really nice guy, and helps me out when he can. I have been working with the government for only three years, but it all is a great thing. To tell the truth I used to be wanted, and then after that I was a bounty hunter for some time, but now I live a fully legit life. You know, the single home life that every young woman has. Dog, government apartment, dinner every night with salad, and main course for one; wine for four."

Francois laughed a bit as Jet's booming laugh echoed through the cafe. "Can't say I don't know where you are coming from, Francois. I once was a policeman before I came to be a bounty hunter. I am thinking of turning in the whole bounty hunter deal, however, and just becoming a desk job policeman again though. Got some friends on Jupiter that want me back, and I will be hard pressed to go for a crap organization that won't like me. I am going back to Jupiter after this run, and turning in my bounty hunting boots. This old man can't handle any more."

Francois looked a bit depressed, but nodded anyway. She sighed deeply, her nearly bursting décolletage bouncing a bit as her lungs emptied. "I guess I can see what you mean. After all age has to happen to all of us. Maybe some day someone will find a way for all of that not to happen. Maybe we could just live eternally, and never have to grow old, and die. Still I suppose sometimes it is better to grow old. After all, they say with time comes great wisdom."

Jet shook his head, the little bit of hair that remained on his head shaking in a wispy kind of display. "I would give wisdom for youth right now over anything else."

Francois noticed Jet's arm, and legs, and shook her head, lowering her head to the point that her chin rested on her linked hands. "You know I could introduce you to someone who could clear up those clunky old limbs. The plastic surgery they have these days is amazing. Perhaps you could even get a limb replacement. I know a government man that can give you some real arms, and legs with no scarring. The procedure is painless, and the recovery time is negligible. It would be fully legal, and I could maybe cut the price down on it. After all if you are, or were a government worker before, and soon coming up you get a lot of bonuses from the interplanetary nations agreement."

Jet shook his head again, and sipped at his coffee. "I prefer these old things... Nostalgia, and all keeps me going, you know. Besides, it's not like they would be my old arm, or legs. I am fine with these." Jet stood up, and a blast was heard a ways away. Jet turned his head, and saw a great explosion at the station that Bebop was at. "Son of a Bitch! I am sorry Francois, I have to go!"

Jet high tailed it out of the cafe, and ran toward the station. He noticed a small ship heading away from the station shooting guns blazing, and when he got to Bebop the ship was totaled. The hammerhead was inside, and also in roughly the same state, and a streak of anger rushed through Jet at that moment. Jet screamed out at the flying ship far off into the distance, and heard Francois' voice head toward him. Suddenly his whole body tensed, and Jet fell to his knees. Shooting pains flew through Jet's left arm, and chest, and he blacked out.

Jet awoke a few hours later in a hospital bed, Francois holding Ein in her arms beside the bed. "Jet! Are you alright? You had a heart attack so I called the police, and they brought you here. It's a government medical facility. You are stabilized now, but you really should ease up on the running. You're too old it seems to be so active."

Jet sat up groggily, and shook his head, looking around him to appraise his surroundings. The room was stark white, and there were a few various medical things on the walls, and on a nearby table, but that was it. "I have to get those guys..."

Francois put her hand on Jet's chest, and shook her head. "Those assholes are gone, Jet... They just destroyed bebop, and got away. We got a license of them, but that is all."

Jet looked at Francois, and shook his head again. Maybe he misheard, but he was sure that she had told him that they had destroyed bebop. He had never remembered telling her the name of his ship, and by the time he got to it the paint had been entirely ripped away by the flames. That was beside the point, however. Jet knew that only his bounty would pull something. Bounty hunters were listed, and their ships were too. Any ship that would come up in a station would be targeted. "I am going."

Jet stood up, his raw strength still present enough to overpower a young woman like Francois. He moved to the door, and let himself out, Francois sitting back in the room dumbstruck. It took him three hours to find the ship on the screens, and four more to get to them through civilian transport, but he got there. Finally he found the Bounty heads themselves, and smiled. He had more than just the bounty on his mind now. If he had to kill them it wouldn't be a total loss. One of the men was laughing, and the other three were joking as well, talking about how they had trashed the Bebop.

Jet turned a corner after getting close in, the warehouse that the bounty heads had parked their ship in making a good place to hide about. He grabbed a bounty head, and brought him back, the other bounty heads quickly noticing as the man screamed before Jet punched his lights out with the hard metal arm that he had on his left side "Who is back there? Get out here now with your hands up!" Jet was ready for this, and had climbed up to a crate above the men, and jumped down atop one of them. He swore he heard a hard crunching noise under him, but the man would surely pull through. If he didn't Jet would have to kill him again for not being alive to turn in after all.

Two more men stood, and opened fire on jet, but a large net of some sort flew out of nowhere, and tangled one of the bounty heads to uselessness. Knowing he was shit out of luck the last bounty head turned to run, and Jet made pursuit, not bothering to question that the man before this one had been caught by a flying rogue net. The last man turned, Jet followed, and saw as he turned that the man had but one thing to do. The hand of the last bounty head flicked at the wrist, and a beeping noise was heard. He smiled, Jet turned on his heel, and started to run, and then a great explosion ripped through Jet's ears, his body burned, his ears bled from the blast of concussive force that hit him. He blacked out yet again.

Jet awoke. The world was cloudy. Everything was hazy, and as he turned his head around lazily he noted that he was not in any heaven that he had ever heard of. It looked a lot more like a med tank in fact, rather than heaven, or hell. A mask was over his face, and a few cords stuck through his hair into the top of his head. Wait... Hair? Slowly Jet brought a hand through the med tank fluid to look at it, and saw that it was very young... Or at least far younger than it had been previous to the explosion that must have out him it the med tank he now lay in. There was a small window above his face, and ever so slowly the screen that covered it opened, and Francois' face peered in, concern filling her expression. Jet used his already raised hand to wave briefly at her, and smiled through his mask. Francois looked surprised, and then waved, an endearing smile running across her face. Slowly she closed the screen, and a voice called out in Jet's head "Jet, can you hear me? Just speak into your breather mask if you can."

Jet noticed the voice as Francois' voice, and began to speak. "Hear you loud, and clear Francois. Where am I? What happened, and most of all, why am I so young?"

"I suppose there is no reason to keep secrets anymore." Francois spoke out to Jet, "I guessed you may have possibly gotten this earlier, but I am Ed from Bebop ten years ago. In fact I still go by Ed with all of my work friends. I go by Francois with civilians though. I didn't lie about my job, though. I do work with the government. I work in what we call human preservation, though in truth it is closer to human strengthening. We work with Human DNA to make Humans younger, older, stronger, weaker, and so on. I couldn't tell you about it before, but since you are now directly involved with it it would go against human rights to not tell you." Ed rolled her eyes, and giggled a bit as though she really didn't care a thing about Human Rights at all.

"So you are telling me that you made me younger?" Jet spoke out to her. "How much younger am I, Ed?" In truth Jet was freaking out a bit. He knew that he had been getting old, and a bit of years taken off were okay he guessed, but he knew that he was radically different. What had all happened?

Ed looked over at something to the side, and then looked back at Jet. "Jet... We are getting some serious stress readings. Are you alright?" Jet Shook his head. Ed sighed, and lowered her head closer to the glass. "It's alright Jet, you are, at most twenty-five years younger. That's twenty-three; one year older than I am. You've been put back in your prime to fight another day. Now you can live your life again like I know you would want to."

Jet shook his head a bit more. Twenty-three was very young comparatively. Couldn't Ed have just shaved off the last ten years? Still a whole new sensation came when a twitch was felt in Jet's legs. Wait, legs? Jet shook around a bit, and Ed looked at him worried through the glass as if asking what was wrong. "What did you do to my legs?"

Ed smiled, and straightened up, looking at a clipboard that she pulled out from outside the view of the glass opening. "Your mechanical legs were highly damaged, and with our technology we instead replaced your legs with real ones. The lab here makes replacement body parts as well as many other items that can be placed on humans, and animals alike. I think Ein has gone through four hearts already. After all ten years does some work on a dog like him. Anyway we also gave you a new arm, but it isn't a real one. I wanted to keep some of the old you intact although I suppose the way you are now Is the old you, isn't it?" Ed giggled a bit at this. "Your new arm is made of a high density alloy that, unlike your old arm, is ultralight and has much greater force behind it. Where you could only put enough force in the last arm to shatter a skull if you had a lucky punch this one will tear through solid steel if you want it to. The arm also is a hyper sensitive model which means that after the programming is done you will be able to feel through it, and even have warmth circulating through it. It's a prototype as of now, but we are hoping to get it out on the market soon enough."

Jet sighed into his breather mask, and smiled. "So how long do I have in this tank?" Knowing what kind of damage he must have taken to have all of his limbs nearly blown off Jet guessed that he probably had a few weeks or more.

"Two hours..." Jet looked at Ed as though she was joking. "What? I said you have two hours. We were only waiting for you to wake up really... We just have to do some waking tests, and after that you can come out, and meet the crew. We also managed to save one of the bounty heads if you really want him. He isn't the big one, however, and I doubt you will need to work in bounty hunting from now on." Jet again looked at Ed funny, "After we did all of this for you I am sure you think that you will end up like Faye-Faye, and have a huge debt to pay off, but it is quite the opposite. You will from this point forward be getting paid to try out that new body of yours. I'm no expert in PR, or money management, but given your personal condition, and the fact that you are trying out so very many prototype models I would say that you would be paid over a million woolongs a day for a good five years, or until you prove to weaken what you have been given. Full benefits apply to all of these things as well, and you will be housed, and furnished as though you were a scientist here at the lab." Jet's eyes went wide, and Ed simply closed the screen again.

Two hours later Jet felt the light of the room hit him when he was let out of the Med Tank. The room was bright, and white all over. It was the tell tale scene of a clean environment. Ed came over to Jet, and placed her gloved hand on his shoulder, leading Jet to a cleaning facility where he was bathed, treated, shot up, and checked over by machines for about fifteen minutes before he was allowed to leave the area. After he left the cleaning facility he was led to an outfitting area where he was given a set of civilian clothing that fit him, and where he also noticed that he had been standing in front of Ed stark naked for a good amount of time. This did not sit well in his head, but he didn't dwell on it for too long as he was ushered to a mirror to look himself over.

There he was, back at the age of twenty-three. His arm was the only unfamiliar thing to the form as he had not yet attained the metal arm at that age. A full head of thick black hair covered his scalp, and a muscular, tan figure was well covered by a dress shirt, and corduroy pants. All he needed was a fedora to seem like an old fashioned mobster. It was almost pleasant. The left hand that stuck from the outfit was a bright metal, almost white, though it contained a touch of silver in it. It was seamless, or so it seemed, but Jet had no doubt that micro seams held the metallic arm together. He could feel the very air currents that ran across it too, and was amazed to find that the minute movements that had been long unusable by him with his previous arm were fully restored in this one.

"You know, from here you look pretty sharp." Ed's voice came from behind Jet who had not even noticed her reflection in the mirror. "I'd say that you are looking pretty good for forty-eight, wouldn't you?"

Jet smiled, and nodded. "Ya I suppose I do, don't I?" Jet's voice was still gruff like before, but now it was less aged. His voice was less scarred from yelling, and smoking. "I suppose I should thank you for all of this. Thanks a bunch for giving me a second chance, Ed."

Ed shook her head, and giggled. "You really are a silly guy. I didn't do this for the company, or for you... I did this for myself. The company that I work for would normally hate me for this, but we needed a person in dire trouble who had no chance of surviving for the whole experimentation process on the first place. I am getting Kudos for this. Still the real reason I did it was because I wanted to live the old bebop life again. Ten years ago I remember everything so vividly. Nowadays things are so boring I can hardly remember what I did yesterday, or if it held any meaning at all. I wanted you, and Spike, and Faye-Faye to be back, and take me away from this place so very many times. You shouldn't thank me, Jet. I did this selfishly."

Jet's metal hand placed itself on Ed's shoulder, and the former old man smiled wide. "Don't worry about it, Ed. You were family to me once. I have reason to thank an old friend for living on the old ways. So where am I gonna stay, huh?"

Ed blushed a bit, and smiled. "Normally workers are placed in living facilities with a partner. I didn't have one until now, and that means that you are now my working partner. Ein technically was my co-worker, but he is an animal so his housing is a bit different. He doesn't count as an active human body. You'll be staying with me from here on out."

Jet smiled a bit, and then laughed out loud. "Well it'll be just like old times then. Just sharin' a pad like back on Bebop, huh?" Shyly, Ed nodded and led Jet toward her quarters.

There ya Go everyone! How did you like the first chapter? Unlike some of my other fics this one is gonna be serious for the most part cause I wanna do it really well. Thusly there will not be nearly as many lemons as many of my other fics. Still it is Mature because there ARE going to be lemons eventually between the beauty that is Ed, and the rugged man that Jet is. When that happens trust me that it will be juicy, and wonderful. Next chapter is called "A Valentine For You"

Yours,

Tankou001


	2. A Valentine For You

Aging Or Lack Thereof

An Ed x Jet Fanfic

Hey all! Tankou001 here with a new chapter of Aging Or Lack Thereof! Hope you liked the last chapter cause more will be coming soon! As we all know from last chapter Ed met Jet, and de-aged him 25 years so now Jet is in the body of a twenty three years old man with a new pair of legs, and a new prosthetic arm that is made of some special stuff that lets him not only feel through it, but also is super strong, or ultra delicate depending on what he wants. Now he is working for the Earth government as a "guinea pig" of sorts.

So here it is, the next chapter of Aging Or Lack Thereof!

Chapter Two: A Valentine For You

An alarm went off, and slowly Jet awoke, bringing his arm to the cock, and crushing it underneath his new prosthetic hand. He opened his eyes as the clock made a dying noise, and sighed. Being younger was hard enough, but having a special arm that could turn a steel bar into a pretzel with minimal effort was only proving to make things even more difficult. Jet's new body wanted to run at full speed, and full power at all times, and he was ending up destroying everything he touched now that his body could do exactly that. He slowly sat up, and looked a the white-silver alloy that made his new arm. The special material was an experimental substance that could transfer feeling, warmth, cold, and the most precise of movements from Jet's commands. The scientists had told Jet that he would remain being paid until he broke the arm, but Jet had no idea how in the world such an incredible material could even be scratched, much less destroyed.

Ed's head popped down from the top bunk of the bunk beds that the two slept on, her hair dangling underneath her as she looked at Jet upside down. "Broke another one, huh? Don't worry, the price is negligible. Still you should start to get better precision with that hand. You can't just go banging on alarm clocks with this arm now, you'll destroy every one. Come on, let's get to the center. I think your arm needs recalibration." Ed raised her head back out of Jet's field of vision for a moment, and then fell from the top bunk, landing with otherworldly grace. Ein walked down from the top bunk on a little track that twisted, and extended from it. Jet simply shook his head, and got up following Ed to the first room of the day.

In truth Jet didn't really see sunlight nowadays. It had been three weeks since he had been de-aged, and the whole time had been underground in the complex, having tests done and being asked to do tasks to experiment n his new body. Of course the first room that Ed, and Jet ever went t was the mess hall. The huge cafeteria was filled with government scientists right about now, Jet, and Ed considered by anyone just two more scientists that were stopping in for breakfast. Of course Jet was a bit less than a scientist, he was an experiment just as half of the people in the complex were. Jet had even found that scientist, and experiment could often go together as one. Ein himself counted as exactly this, the little Corgi both scientist, and experiment all at the same time. Some people around the labs joked that the little dog did experiments on himself, but Jet knew better, knowing that any experiments done on Ein were performed by Ed. Ein was, in truth, in a whole different specialization. He worked in techno-splicing whereas Ed worked in human physiology, and age regressing prosthetics as Jet so clearly knew.

Passing by some people Jet got in line, the cook looking up at him with a smile. "What'll it be today, Jet? We've got you favorite cardboard gruel, any kind of plain cereal you want, or some fresh, unseasoned vegetables down at the end of the line."

Jet groaned at all of this. He hated the food selection in the complex. Everything that could be found to eat had no sugar aside from the tasteless variety, and nothing had really any flavor. The cook knew this as well, and made a big joke out of it. Jet, and the cook always joked outside of the main meal times about how someday they would work together to smuggle in a ton and a half of processed sugar, and just pour it into the soup mix some day. "I'll just take the gruel, thanks. Tell me, Morris, how did you manage to wind up in this kind of job?"

Morris sighed, and dolled up a large bowl of gruel into a bowl for Jet. "Well I was in a culinary institute up top at first, but the government saw my potential in the sciences, and brought me down here. Now I work either in the mess hall, or more commonly in the organic mutations lab in the east wing. I formulate serums, and test the reactions of he serums through different foods that we give to animals, and patients."

Jet cringed. "When do you do that kind of stuff?"

Morris smiled. "Ever wonder why I am not here on Tuesdays, or why Jones in engineering glows purple when he gets surprised?"

Jet shut up after that, earning a laugh from Morris. He took his gruel, and walked to the table that Ed waited at. She was "enjoying" a piece of dark bread spread with a disgusting paste about the color of wet cardboard that had been put through a blender, and mixed with gray river clay. "Say Ed? Why exactly isn't there any sugary stuff in the Complex? Or cigarettes? I have been wanting one for a while now. It's been... almost four weeks already."

Ed looked at Jet, and shrugged. "Cigarettes are bad for you anyway, Jet. I personally got two new lungs because the secondhand smoke from way back on Bebop made me ineligible for human chest prosthetics. You are lucky though. You have new lungs untainted by any smoke, or buildup. The sugar deal is because us scientists are given exactly how much nutrients we need from various serums, and pills. All of the solid stuff like what I am eating now is just filler to keep away the feeling of an empty stomach. Why do you think all of the government workers here in the complex are so fit?"

Jet groaned, and took a spoonful of gruel. "Couldn't they at least make it taste better? What is this stuff even made of?"

Ed smiled. "If you have to ask you won't understand. It's basically like Venusian army food. A don't ask don't tell scenario." This was something that Jet could understand and wouldn't bother asking again. "After this we need to get that arm checked out again. It's strength levels have been increasing unnecessarily, and we need to cull that type of behavior before the prosthetic piece takes over."

Jet choked on his gruel. "Wait, are you saying this thing has a mind of it's own?"

Ed looked at Jet, chewing for a moment, and then answering, mouth still half full. "Of course, how else do you think you ca feel through it? Every body replicant prosthetic is run by nano-machines that send impulse emotions to your brain. Technically you don't feel anything through that arm. The nanotech feels it, and tells you what it is feeling, giving the illusion to you that you have sensory input from that arm. Occasionally the nanotech gets out of hand, and develops a personality, and in order to keep it from attacking the rest of the bod, and taking it over we have to cull the excess thought processes in the tech. It's hard to explain if you don't know how it all works on a technological level, but it happens all the time. Ein's third heart, and my left eye have bot had such events, and I am still fine. I am actually surprised your legs haven't acted out yet. Normally the legs, being most mobile, are the ones to need reprogramming first."

Jet didn't like any of this, but didn't question it, and simply went back to eating. "So tell me Ed... When am I going to be able to see the sun again, if at all?"

Ed munched at another piece of bread after spreading over it another helping of the grotesque looking paste. "Well I cannot be sure of that. It isn't like many scientists get the right to go out very often. I was on a vacation day when we saw each other, but I a not due fr one of those for another year or so. I suppose eventually they might want a real world simulation, and will send you up top for experimentation, but I can't guarantee it. Even Ein gets walked in a simulated environment in the Recreations Wing. Cheer up though, Jet. I understand that it is difficult for a former civilian like you. I had a bit of cabin fever at first, but I promise you will get used to it soon enough."

Jet sighed, and nodded, finishing his breakfast. Soon enough the three left the mess hall, Ein leaving et, and Ed to go to his own job. Jet wondered for a moment how exactly Ein gave orders, or constructed things without thumbs or the ability to speak the human language, but those were questions to be asked later. When Jet, and Ed reached the prosthetics bay Jet got into a recalibration tank, and put on a breather mask. Soon enough the tank filled with a clear, slimy goo that Jet had been in what had to be at least fifteen times in the last three weeks. Ed, and two other scientists worked on his arm through the use of several robotic arms that poked it, and prodded at it, and took it apart before putting it back together. It was all very disturbing to watch especially from Jet's perspective. Soon enough, however, the procedure was over and Jet was sprayed down and allowed to get dressed again, his arm no longer so hard to control.

Soon after getting dressed, and ready for the next test Jet was guided to a small dark room, Ed nowhere in sight. A screen came on, and on it was a man which Jet had never seen before. He seemed pleasant overall, a small smile on his face, little glasses in front of his eyes. Jet knew that the glasses were not actually for seeing. None of the scientists wore glasses because the were visually impaired. Ed had even told jet that her on eyes had been replaced when she became a government scientist because her vision was getting worse. The only reason anyone had glasses was for portable visual displays. All of the glasses were little computers, or cameras that helped with work. "Greeting Jet. My name is Henry. I'll be your assignment manager today" Jet gave Henry a look, but the man smiled, and shook his head. "I know this seems awfully foreign to you, but worry not. This is simply an assignment to test out your arm. Think of it as just another bounty hunt that you used to do. You assignment is to search, and find a specific criminal, and bring her back. We don't know her real name, but she goes by the Valentine Ace, and has been spotted in several casinos, and gambling halls on Mars, and in deep orbit around the planet. We'll be sending you with Miss Edward, though up top you are to call her Francois, alright. Do not, I repeat, do not use lethal force with the Valentine Ace under any circumstances. She has valuable information, and is a perfect subject for testing. Reports also say that she is carrying a wrist mounted quantum storage filler."

Jet gave Henry another look, and spoke out. "Alright, uh... Henry... before you say anything else I a going to have to let you know... I am not a scientist here. I don't understand a bit of this scientific talk that comes out of your mouth so please make it simple What is this quantum storage thing?"

Henry smiled nervously, and nodded. "In short it is a small, controlled wormhole that can store objects, and recall them instantly. It would looked like a small bracelet. We believe that the Valentine Ace has gotten away with so many gambling runs because she has used this to store cards, and due to the fact that she doesn't openly store the cards in a pocket, or sleeve, and outwardly the filler looks like a bracelet she can't be found out. Albeit normally we would simply ask you to turn her in, and retrieve the filler we believe that she may have been effected by the quantum, feedback that could leak out of the filler. So we will need to study her, and perhaps do some tests to make sure that her physiology is stabilized."

Jet sighed. "So you are telling me that this woman is messing with technology that could do what exactly to her?"

Henry smiled. "In short it could make her implode if enough quantum feedback comes in contact with her. Of course that is a worst case scenario. It is are that something like this happens, actually, but the filler is a prototype, and sometimes first time devices tend to have issues... flaws in the design. More than likely the Valentine Ace has either adapted to the filler's feedback, or is absorbing it and could develop a sort of mutation. In any case all of these instances call for testing. If she is immune, or is adapting we want to know how, and why. If she is mutating we want to what it is that she may turn into, and if we can stop, or regulate it. Lastly if she is going to implode, or otherwise be killed from the effects of the filler we obviously want her to get away from it as fast as she can, isolate the filler, ad undo the damage that it has done to her. Getting the Valentine Ace isolated in general is what the police want, and we are more than happy to take the job, and the item that she is holding. I am sure you understand."

Jet nodded. There were obvious reasons why the public would be best not knowing some things. News of a woman spontaneously imploding in the middle of a casino was one of them. As a former policeman Jet knew that such things were best kept on the down low. This was one of them. "Alright, when do I leave?"

Henry looked as though he was typing something for a moment before a small picture sowed up at the bottom right of the screen. It had the time on it, and then another time beside it. "For reasons beyond my control I am not allowed to know that, but the current time, and deployment time are down at the bottom right. Please get packed up, and alert your handler. You will be deployed at the time below, and no later."

Jet looked at the time. It was in four hours, and thirty-two minutes. He nodded, and stepped out of the room, wandering about for a while before Ed met up with him again. "What happened, Jet? You were taken away after we got done with your arm."

"I have a mission or something. You're supposed to come along." Jet said as he made his way to the room to pack up. Ed went with him, not bothering to ask any questions. Jet assumed she was used to this. "So is Ein comin' along?"

Ed shook her head as they entered the room. "No, Ein has some work in the techno-splicing lab to do this week. He told me earlier when I was waiting for you that he will be in alternate sleeping quarters all week long due to the work he is doing. He wouldn't tell what he had to do, but then again there are some things we aren't allowed to tell each other in this line of work."

Jet sighed, and shook his head as he started to pack. "Ed? How exactly does Ein do anything, or say anything? He is a dog, and so far I haven't heard him ever talking outside of... dog talk. Not to mention he has no thumbs. How does he handle tools?"

Ed giggled. "Ein doesn't need to touch anything for his job. Techno-splicing is done entirely through neural network. In truth not many humans are put in those positions. Data animals like Ein are far easier to employ because their minds have been reprogrammed to handle advanced algorithms, and such. One thing I can tell you is that my own mind, as fast as it happens to run, is nothing in comparison to the human scientists in techno-splicing. I am not envious in the least though. I order to be a human in that department one has to have extensive brain work done and have their mind compartmentalized, and get a neural network implanted. It's a long, painful procedure that takes too long, and by the time it is all done you are practically not human anymore. That's why Data animals like Ein are chosen. They already have all of the done to them in the data development process, and they have it done when they are young, and don't know the life of a playful pet." Ed grabbed something from her drawer, and looked at it before stuffing it into her bag. "If you wanted to know how I talk to Ein you will have to have the procedure yourself. If you have to ask what they do you wouldn't understand it if I told you. To put it as simply as possible they work on your ears so that you can understand select animal species. I had my ears worked on to understand canines, birds, rodents, and reptiles. Some of the scientists choose to be lazy, and get their ears fitted to understand all of the human languages, and some get other types of animal languages for theirs. I know a few scientists that haven't had any ear work, and never will. I could ask for the brain surgeons to work on you so that you can understand different animals but the limit so far is four different classifications. I have maxed out mine, but in twenty years I should be able to get another couple of animal languages."

Jet looked at Ed with a bit of fear. She just kept getting stranger, and stranger, but then again it was her job to be strange he supposed. "So you are saying that these doctors could let me understand cats or something?"

Ed nodded. "Any animal group you wants. Felines and canines are a popular choice since they are common house pets. Birds are a bit less popular, but still among the top five choices since they are everywhere, and commonly kept as pets as well. The doctors ca work on your vocal chords as well so that animal speech is within your grasp, but you would be limited to two groups. I only chose birds when I chose to get my vocal cords reworked."

"So tell me Ed? Has every part of your body been worked on?" Jet asked Ed, curious as to what on Ed body hadn't been under the knife at some point.

Ed hesitated for a moment, thinking on this question. "Come to think of it I don't believe I have had many organs not reworked, or altered. I know my breasts are still my own, and so are my stomach and intestines, but aside from those everything has been worked on. Even my reproductive system has been worked on." Jet looked at Ed as though asking a question that he didn't want to say out loud. The woman smiled, understanding this, and spoke out. "It's nothing big. I can choose when I ovulate. I can be highly fertile, or entirely sterile if I have a day's notice. Why don't you think I haven't complained about cramps, or anything like that yet? Aside from the fact that I can choose my degree of fertility, though, it is all completely functional."

Jet shuddered a bit, and shook his head. There were some things he wondered why he was ever curious about. "What kind of stuff could they do to me?"

Ed giggled and responded. "They can do anything to anyone Jet. The Earth government science facilities, although the smallest, are the most advanced. We can do anything and everything to anyone who either works for us, or pays the money needed for a full body workup. The genetics department can modify your genes to make you look like anyone, or be of any nationality. Black, white, purple, green, you name the color the can make it the color of you skin. The prosthetics labs can replace any part of your body, or just give you a whole new one altogether. If you want a new heart, or kidney we need only replicate it for you, and stick it in. Just so you know the prosthetics department has a bit of a misleading name. Only things like your left arm is inorganic. All of the other body parts that are made by my department are all a hundred percent real. The techno-splicing department where Ein works can enhance your own natural body with nanotech that will allow you to perform at far above the human threshold, or if you want they can let you exist inside the machinery. They say down there that you don't need a body if you exist within the signal. Three of the scientists here in the complex actually live as sentient computer signals. They work, and live through electrical currents. But once you go through such a thing you can never live in a human body again. Still I suppose it's a small price to pay for technological omnipotence. Anyway, if you name it we at the complex can probably do it to you. If I were you I would actually sign up later on for more extensive work done too."

Jet wondered at this, and sat down as he folded some clothes. "Why is that? Don't tell me its free or somethin'."

Ed giggled. "Actually since you are under permanent employment here it is better than free. you would be getting paid for having more work on your body. As a top class experiment in the genetics, and prosthetics departments you would be getting paid to accept the newest technological breakthroughs into your body. Of course the basic stuff would come at a lower pay raise, but if you wanted you body wired with an experimental neural net that would be nearly four billion woolongs in you pocket to spend at your leisure. There is an experimental brain coding network that just got accepted for human testing that would let your IQ skyrocket, and if you chose to get that it would mean at least three trillion woolongs in your account just for signing up. If all went successfully for more than six months that would guarantee fifteen million woolongs a month in your pocket. In truth I am getting a brain coding procedure in a few months, but not the latest stuff. I don't have clearance for that nor do I care for such a high degree of intelligence. They are just going to unlock a bit of my brain chemistry so that I process things at a higher speed. If all goes well in three months I will be seeing two subjective seconds to every one objective second."

Jet looked at Ed, and smiled a bit. "So you are saying that for every one second that goes by for me two go by for you?" Ed nodded happily. "I won't question how exactly that works, but it sounds interesting. I may set myself up for some of this special work, though with the ridiculous salary I am getting now I don't think I will need to money..."

Ed looked over at Jet. "Don't think you are that rich, Jet. Your salary is nothing compared to mine, and mine is nothing to Ein's. His can't even touch the higher ups. Everything may be more or less paid for us as long as we work here, but it is all a savings plan. If at any time any of us decides to resign we have to use all of that money to pay for the various procedures, and tech that we have collected over the years. You haven't even scratched the surface of the money that your new body costs, and I have only enough money to pay for about half of my own body. If you, or I quit right now anything that we can't pay for minus fifty thousand woolongs will be repossessed, and we will be stuck as broken down half people. I hear from Ein that his boss hasn't even paid for a third of his enhancements, and he is one of the senior directors... The man was a founder of the complex. Ein is lucky, he was an experiment before joining the government so aside from his de-aging, and body parts he gets off free of charge. In fact I think by his next payment all of that will be paid off. Actually if it weren't for the fact that I have died twice I would be much farther along in my payments..."

Jet zipped up his bag. "Died?"

"Ya." Ed said. "I told you that we can do anything here. That includes bringing the dead back to life. I have died twice from various accidents up top. Any deaths that happen as a result in a procedure, however, are subject to free revival since you are on the table, and under the knife. Those things happen after all. I have actually died seventeen times, twice up top, and fifteen times under the knife. In other words I got lucky. Morris has died fourteen times up top, and his bills are far larger than mine. Still he works at a higher pay so he is farther along in his payment than I am."

Jet thought on this for a moment. "So... Why is anyone here? Why does anyone get any of these cool new enhancements if they are stuck paying them off the second they think to leave?"

"It's a game, Jet..." Ed muttered. "The whole system is a game to all of us scientists. This complex is a huge casino, and all of us get as much as we can, and try as hard as we can to get all the money we can hold. When the time comes that the casino closes down we head out, and pay off our bills. Think of it this way. Someone stuck you in a big, luxury hotel. You ordered the best food and drink, ordered the whole spa treatment, and threw the biggest party you could. You went crazy with everything. After all of this fun you find out that you don't have near the amount of money for what you bought. There goes the car, and the women, and all of the fancy expenses you got from the hotel stores. Still there is a poker table, and every time you play you win, but every time you win you have to buy something again. You buy all of he cheapest stuff, and win the biggest jackpots. We are all trying to do this. The longer we stay the more we pay, and our ridiculous government salaries are our only ticket home. In forty-eight years I plan on leaving as a teenager, and paying off my debt with no money in my pocket save for those fifty thousand woolongs I get as a parting gift. I'll be a twelve years old girl again with the power to lift up a car with a single bare hand. I'll have the power to breathe under water, talk to birds, and understand them. I'll have the ability to see faster than time passes, and act faster than my mind would normally let me. The best thing about it is that I will be immune. If an Earth government scientist saves up enough money to get out he can do whatever he wants. If I wanted to break into a bank on Io it's no big deal. The Earth government will cover what I stole as long as I pay them half of what I took. It's called the half price card around here, and it's what ever person who lives, and works here wants. If I were to kill thirty people up top all of their families would be reimbursed, and fifteen lucky government individuals would be chosen to fill half of the parts of the people that I killed. A former government scientist with a half price card has the right to do anything he, or she wants, and get away with it. If I ever want a new enhancement, or want to get de-aged I can come back, and pay it off not only at half price but also I can resume working for the government and get paid more. Nothing up top pays as much as the complex does. Even robbing solar system banks can't pay what the complex does me every month. In fact only none scientist so far has ever chosen to leave the employment of the complex. He did so five years ago, and immediately became a bounty hunter. He's turned in the highest bounties around and four months ago came back for a new procedure, and told all of us that what he was getting up top was chump change."

Jet couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had heard of a man four years ago that had swept through the bounty heads like mad, and only four months ago had stopped. That must have been who Ed was talking about. Jet knew that that man had done some horrible things as well. For a few weeks he had been a wanted man with his own ridiculous bounty, but after those five weeks he was off free, and clear again as though nothing happened. "So this Half Price card is literally a do anything, and get away with it card?" Ed nodded as she finished packing up, zipping her own bag shut. "It sounds like a pretty sweet deal. How long would you say I have until I get my debts paid off granted I do nothing else to myself?"

Ed looked at Jet, and sighed, shaking her head a bit."You don't get it d you Jet? The system is set up so that you can't just sit back, and watch the number add up. You, currently, would need about fifty years of nothing. No more de-aging, no more additions. If one of your body parts failed you would need to pay to get it fixed. You got a heart attack, and you would need to pay to get a new one. Still even if you passed through all of that it would take fifty years or more just to get out. The way the system works is by paying money, and getting money for doing so. You have to get the cheapest stuff with the biggest payoff. It's all a big game of number crunching. Supply, and demand are what run the complex. Nothing is going to change that. The best choice would just be to ask me, or some other close friends in the system how they are doing it, and follow suit. My advice for your first procedure is to get a brain coding operation to allow you to think aster clearer, better. It'll help open your mind to the fact that this is a big gambling hall, and also it will hep you count all of those numbers so that you can formulate a path to your own freedom. All of us have different plans for getting out of here. My plan is what we all call the time bomb. I have a deadline, and when that deadline is reached I will resign, and pay off all that an, and if I happen to be ale to pay it all I get my half price card, and get out. If I can't they take what I have to give back, and leave with the best I can keep. Ein has what we call a tsunami plan. He buys this simplest, most rewarding enhancements first, and after a while of crunching numbers, and getting ahead enough that he has a good retirement plan he buys all that he can, and leaves with his fifty thousand woolongs in a whole new kind of body. I suggest you get that bran coding simply so you can formulate your own plan."

Jet cringed a the though of having his brain messed with, but Ed put her hand on his shoulder, the young woman's expression very serious. "I can tell you don't like the idea of someone messing with your head. If you are really against it all the I'll be honest with you.. There is only one way out if this place without brain coding to formulate a special plan. Everyone in the complex knows it save for you bu I am sure you will view this with similar distaste. The only way to truly cheat the system is breeding... Of course sexual intercourse in general is unregulated in the Complex, but most women choose to do all of that as a free method of recreation since sex, unlike anything else in the complex can't be bought nor sold. Still purposeful breeding does cost... It just costs very little, and pays off big. If you want woolongs without having to pay you need to either formulate a plan with the help of proper brain coding, or you can take the route of purposeful breeding. You have to understand though that while it pays off a lot if you do go that route you don't stop until you resign. The people who breed for money have to breed all day, every day. You don't do it for pleasure... You do it constantly, and it is agonizing, tiring, demeaning work. Also you have to remember that you will never see your children and know they are yours. Those children will be born into the system, be raised into the system, and become scientists like you, or I. When, or if you ever do see them the will be just another coworker. Believe me when I tell you that none of the scientists under the age of fifteen is that way because they have been de-aged to that level. They are that way because they were born, and raised here, and the really are just fifteen years old. A scientist is allowed one child, or set of children, depending on how many they have in one pregnancy. That child, or se of children will be theirs but every kid after that belongs to the system. If you go the path of breeding I suggest you don't keep any children. Save that for your life up top..."

Jet couldn't say anything. He thought that the system would be harsh, but nothing had prepared him for the news that Ed had just given him. He shook his head, and frowned as he stood up. "Well I suppose in that case this brain coding won't be too bad. Still that will have to wait for later... It's about time to go..."

Ed nodded, and smiled. She was glad that Jet was coming to the right path. "Agreed. My glasses got our assignment sent to me as we were talking. Let's get to the deployment bay." Jet followed Ed, the two leaving to a large hangar with countless ships in them. They got into a small ship, and soon enough were launched into outside world, and before long were in space heading for mars. Jet only hoped that things would go smoothly for him.

There ya all go!

I know you were thinking the mission would happen in this chapter, but it actually takes place next chapter which will have a similar title. I thought a bit on what to do in this chapter, and opted to have the whole system explained. As you can see the Earth Scientists are all in indentured servitude, more or less. In order to get out without paying they have to pay earlier on. Now its not like if they only can pay half of their debts they lose everything from the waist down. That would be stupid. In truth they get additions repossessed in order of importance. Actually I should have said that they pay for things in order of importance For instance Ed would pay for her legs, lungs, and all of the essentials first. Then the minor stuff like her specialized understanding, and vocal capabilities would be taken away. For instance of she couldn't pay for them she would still walk away with the ability to speak to and understand people, just not animals. Her body would be strong when she left, but due to the fact that the nanotech that would give her super strength isn't a necessity she wouldn't have the capability to lift a car with a single hand. It works like that. Note also that you don't get you Half Price Card f you can't pay fr everything. It's not a consolation prize, it is an award for completion. You pay it all off, and the Earth Government rewards you for your service, and the complete payment of you debts by saying that anything you need in the future from them you get half price on, and you get governmental immunity. Anyone with a Half Price Card is a god among men, even if they are an animal XP

Anyway I will try to write the next chapter quickly!

Yours,

Tankou001


	3. Will You Be My Valentine

Aging Or Lack Thereof

An Ed x Jet Fanfic

Hey All! Tankou001 here with an all new chapter of Aging Or Lack Thereof. This is the chapter where Ed, and Jet are gonna be on their mission. I didn't have to think long on this one, and I think you will all like it ^_^

Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Will You Be My Valentine?

Jet and Ed stepped out of the shuttle that had taken them to Mars. News was that Valentine Ace had made landfall on Mars two weeks ago and as cleaning out the casinos left, and right. Normally this wasn't a crime, just bad sport, but the government knew better, and had placed a bounty on Valentine Aces' head. The two walked through town, gathering info on Valentine, and getting about as far as they had begun. Come noon Jet, and Ed met up again at a restaurant that the two had agreed on earlier, and began to talk about what they had found out. Jet gave his info first. "Well, so far I know that Valentine Ace is a drag queen that can pull off a very good female voice, but is covered with hair. She wears bright blue lipstick, carries a posh handbag, is an alien, and is seventeen feet tall... In other words... I got nothing..."

Ed frowned, and sighed. "All I got was that Valentine Ace likes tall, strong men, enjoys jazz music, and smokes... That narrows it down to about half of the women on mars. It's good if you want to be her boyfriend, but not good if you are looking to hunt her down." Jet sighed as well, and ordered a coffee. Ed ordered cranberry juice. She had been keeping an eye on him, and he knew it. Every time he had tried to stop by a store to grab a pack of cigarettes something had happened to keep him from getting it. Fortunately he didn't have to pay due to the fact that the accidents had all happened when the cigs were in the hands of the shop owner, but Jet had a sneaking suspicion that Ed was behind it all. "It seems like looking past the fact that she is one hell of a gambler Valentine Ace is, if anything, a plain old woman."

Jet nodded as he sipped his coffee, and looked up at a screen in the restaurant that was listing some bounty heads. That piqued his interest. "Hey, Francois? On a scale of one to ten how close would a high paying bounty head hit in comparison to my current pay?"

"Negative twenty, Jet... The highest of bounties right now would be like tossing a single woolong in your pocket in comparison to what you will get paid in a single week. In a high stakes game of poker you don't throw a ten woolong chip down, you throw ten thousand woolong chips in by the handful... Think of it that way..." Jet had to admit ha every time Ed explained this sort of thing to him it was getting easier, and easier to grasp. He was, quite literally, playing a high stakes game and his mind was still running at high school wagers on who would get a date with the hot cheer leaders. He had to get his mind on higher numbers now. When he really thought about it this bonus assignment was worth six billion woolongs. The highest bounty on the screen in the restaurant was for less than half a million. Valentine Ace was a diamond the size of a peach, and the bounty heads that Jet had just been looking at were pieces of flint the size of his thumb nail.

Slowly Jet stood up, and downed the rest of his coffee. I think I have an idea... You are telling me to think about high stakes games, right?" Ed looked up, and nodded slightly, little care in her expression. "Well your eyes are sharp, and if our target is breaking the banks at casinos why don't we do the same. After all, if she gets to a casino that she hasn't been to yet, and finds out someone beat her to the punch she'll be pissed, and want to find us. If we do that then we can be lazy, and earn a couple of quarters while we're at it, see what I mean?"

Ed's eyes looked to show contemplation for only a moment until she realized what Jet was saying, and they went wide. "Jet, you're a genius! I would have never thought of such an idea. Not only do we earn some pocket change in the mean time but we can let the angry target find her way to us. After all it's not like you aren't easy to identify, and we are under he government's protection. We can break the bank as much as we like, and our boss won't mind as long as we find Valentine Ace in the end! You have that card we got on the shuttle, by the way?" Jet nodded, wondering why he would be asked. "Good, if you get into any trouble, just show it to the casino men, they'll let you off."

Jet smiled, and the two split up. Jet quickly made his way down to the nearest big casino, and signed in. Mars, being the biggest luxury planet in the solar system had plenty of Casinos. Any one casino that Valentine hadn't broken yet would be easy to find. After all Valentine Ace was only one person. Still if three people stated breaking the bank around cities on Mars it would start to escalate. Some good gamblers would start to get cocky, and forget that they had to hold back, and before anyone knew it everyone would be winning at high stakes games. Every casino would break down in days, and the most noticeable people would be a wild redhead, and a young man with a strange white-silver arm going to casino after casino breaking the bank. "This is gonna be too easy..."

As Jet approached one of the ritzier casinos and stepped in a man stopped him. "Excuse me sir, but this Casino is for only the highest rollers."

Jet smiled. He assumed that it was a signature casino just from that. A casino that only catered to people who paid for special memberships, and had cards to prove it. Jet knew very well he looked the part for any formal casino what with his suit, and fedora. "Well then I have come to the right place. There is no higher a roller than me."

The men smirked, and one placed his hand on Jet's shoulder. "Sir, I don't think you understand. This is a special casino. We only let members in here, and I haven't seen you before. Please leave."

Jet only smiled, and leaned forward. "Hey listen, guys. I am not gonna bullshit you. I'm not a member here, and I am no casino rater, or anything, but I ma be looking to start a membership in some of the higher rolling places. This place looks like a good place, and if you would let me tour the place I would be more than happy to give a good word to your manager. Also let's say there is some good pocket change in it fr you two. "Jet pulled out his wallet, and drew two clips of bills which he had never bothered counting, but he was sure that they were more money than one could scoff at even in the high life. He presented the clips, and stuck one in the pocket of each man's suit. "There ya go, that help? Now what do you two fine gentleman say? Can I have a chance to take a few bets, and see if this casino rolls high enough for my interest?"

One of the men pulled out he clip, and flipped through it, his eyes progressively getting wider. The other man paid close attention to this, and when all was said and done the two were graciously inviting Jet into the Casino with open arms. Jet thanked them, and made himself a home. The first table was blackjack. Jet had always been good at counting cards, and so this would be a good place for him. Still Jet knew that if he won too much it would be obvious. He would have to win a lot, and lose at least half as much. He sat down at one of the dealers tables, and started playing. At first it took him a bit to count off the cards, and get a god layout, but soon enough his sharp, young eyes had the whole score lined up. Before long Jet was breaking the bank one turn, and losing the next. He made it all look like luck fluctuated, but his final turn he drive the bets to the max, and upon showing a perfect twenty-one walked off with a cart of chips. Seven tables later the bank was broken, and Jet was pushed into a small room. Just as Ed had told him he handed off the card, smiled at the man questioning him, and turned in his chips before leaving with a hefty sum in his pockets.

This routine went on for three days. Jet would break three, or four casinos, and come back to meet Ed who had done the same, only faster and better. They would discuss their earning, their information gathered, and head off to do it all over again. Soon enough more people started the same thing, and Ed and Jet got more messy about appearances, making sure to stay less well dressed, and sow more about themselves. Ed, in only a week became known as the redhead runaway, notorious for her crazy gambling attitude, and the ability to walk scot free out of any bad situation. Jet soon became The Silver Dealer, his left arm his own symbol. Of course both of them got off free, and clear each time, and since Earth Government was protecting them, for the sake of getting Valentine Ace they got a hefty sum of money in the process.

Finally after a whole week of breaking banks, and coming back to their hotel rooms with money in their pockets Jet had a visitor in the middle of the night. As he slept soundly, not at all worrying a woman slunk in through his window. In her hand was a gun, and that gun pointed right at Jet's head. When she began to pull the trigger a noise was made, and it didn't belong to the gun in her hand. The lights came on, Ed stepped out of the bathroom with taser in hand, and a middle aged woman lie on the floor with two taser darts in her side. "Thought she would never show up... boss was getting tired of having to explain about us..." Ed said, smiling.

Jet looked down at the woman, and noted the bracelet on her hand. It didn't look like much, but was definitely all he needed to see. Still now that he saw the woman something very wrong seemed apparent. He woman that lay on the floor unconscious was none other than Faye Valentine. Jet sighed, and removed the dart. It made sense that Faye would have used her last name as part of her stage name. "Ed... It's Faye..."

Ed looked at Faye, and her eyes went wide. "Faye-Faye!?! I cant believe it. She looks so... old..."

Jet sighed. "Well she left the Bebop three years ago to go off by herself. I didn't bother asking where to, but I know now. It doesn't surprise me that she is back to gambling. That's what she did best after all. Give me the scanner. We need to make sure this bracelet is the real thing." Ed gave jet the special scanner that they had been given, and he set it up to her bracelet. Sure enough the thing went off like an alarm, and Jet sighed. "We'll need to get her to the shuttle tonight. I don't think Henry will be too happy that we have taken so long..."

Ed nodded, but took the scanner and placed it to Faye's skin, the scanner beeped loudly again. Not as extreme a warning signal, but it was still something that meant something was bad. "We need to get her in a stasis field or something. If she implodes now she could take us with her. The shuttle was equipped with a quantum dampener in case the filler ended up shooting out too much quantum feedback. If we stick he if that chamber we should all be safe."

"Can't we just take the bracelet off of her?" Jet asked.

Ed stared daggers at Jet. "You really need to start thinking like a scientist, Jet... We don't have the necessary equipment to safely handle the filler if it is taken from Faye-Faye. For all we know the only thing from making that thing suck all of us into a low level quantum singularity is the simple fact that it is sitting on Faye-aye's wrist wright now. That isn't even the half of it either. Faye-Faye's body is riddled with quantum feedback. I don't even know how she is still... well her. Human bodies shouldn't have the ability to withstand such feedback, and the fact that Faye-Faye is still alive, and running as well as... well as well as she was tells me that she either is mutating because of the quantum feedback, or is adapting at a super high speed. Neither factor is a good one. Come on, let's get out of here. You bring Faye-Faye to the shuttle, and set her in that Quantum Dampening tank as quickly, and careful as you can while I pay for the room."

Jet did as he was told. The fact that whatever Faye was carrying could implode into a lack whole at any moment was enough to compel Jet to stay obedient. Before long the shuttle was off, and heading back to Earth. The three were in hyperspace when Ed spoke to Jet again. "You know this kinda reminds me of ten years ago... When we were all on Bebop."

Jet smiled. "Ya... I suppose it does... Only this time the bounty we are taking in is Faye." Jet looked back at the dampening tank. "Are you sure we are safe with her in there?"

Ed nodded. "I am sure of it. The thing was designed to hold a low level quantum singularity. A single wormhole generator should be fine. Still I am surprised that Faye-Faye is alive. All logic states that she shouldn't be..."

Jet shrugged, and laid down on the couch in the shuttle. "So how long until we get back home?"

Ed looked at the shuttle speed, and spoke up. "Look like we should be entering Earth orbit in roughly four hours."

Jet smiled. "Wake me up when we get back home..."

Four hours later Jet awoke to Ed prodding his forehead. He frowned, and looked up at the redhead before standing and stretching out. "They got her?"

Ed smiled, and nodded. "They took her as soon as we landed, and I thought I would give you fifteen minutes extra rest to help catch up on the sleep we lost back on Mars. Come on, Let's get to the testing facility to see how Faye-Faye is. Word is she is awake, and is showing some... interesting abilities that may be linked to the prolonged presence of the quantum filler."

Slowly the two made their way to a large white room overlooking another room that Faye stood in alone. The woman had aged well considering the fact that she was over eighty years old to the date. However, on the fact that she only had been actively living thirty five yeas of that lifetime she had aged rather poorly, especially over the last three that she had been out of Jet's life. Faye had left Jet as beautiful as any attractive thirty-two year old woman would be. Se was the picture of health aside from her smoking habit, and had the chance ever arisen Jet knew he wouldn't have kicked Faye out of bed. Still Faye now looked as though she was in her late fifties. She was wrinkled, and old looking. Nothing like how she had left Bebop three years before. A man stepped up beside the two, and spoke. "The filler has aged her significantly, She is only thirty five years old, and as a result of such close proximity to the filler she has aged at least twenty years if not more. We can de-age her, but it won't be as easy as with a normal person. She also seemed to have mutated... evolved in a way from the quantum feedback. She has developed what we call Jumping."

Ed gasped, but Jet just gave the man a questioning stare. "What do you mean jumping? Everyone can do that."

Ed sighed, and shook her head. "Jumping, in terms of quantum mechanics, is the ability to instantaneously transport oneself from one point in space to another. It is considered a class A advancement. In short it is an extreme version of teleportation. Have you managed to figure out how far she can jump yet?" The scientist shook his head. "Well at east she will be nullified in this room. Do you know what else has happened to her from the filler?"

The man nodded. "Aside from the accelerated aging, and the jumping ability she seems to have to be able to unlock temporal realization." Jet gave the man another look of confusion. "In simpler terms she can, to some degree, see the future. No doubt she can't well control it yet, and she can more than likely only realize her own future, nobody else's."

Jet cut into this, unsure of what exactly to believe. "Wait, you are telling me that not only did Faye manage to get her hands on some weird wormhole bracelet, but now she can teleport, and see the future? How is that possible?"

Ed sat down at a bench in the room. "Anything is possible with the right technology, Jet. This kind of stuff isn't so different from what we could do to you. I told you before how people can transfer their whole existence into machinery. They can become living electrical signals... Well Jumping is yet another thing we can do for people. It is one of the mos expensive things we do. Living forever, jumping, increased time rate... These are all given here, and they are all very expensive. Now to tell the truth Temporal realization isn't something we an do yet, but we are not far from it. It is in our sight, and Faye-Faye may just help us with that if we can replicate the conditions with which she changed. Just don't dwell on it, alright? Let's get going. We'll be ale to see Faye-Faye when they are done with her."

Jet didn't like leaving, but he did anyway, the two heading to the mess hall, and meeting up with Ein. The little dog barked a bit, and Ed just talked to him like the were both speaking English. "So Jet?" Ed spoke up eventually. "Have you decided what you are going to do as far as brain coding goes? I do believe I remember you said you would follow that path instead of the alternative, am I right?"

Jet nodded. "Yeah... I am just wondering what kind of this brain coding stuff they got. It all sounds so complicated."

"It is." Ed stated with indifference. "In truth there are over five hundred brain coding procedures. About twenty of them, however, would do you any good right now in formulating a path of resignation later on in life. Believe me, past you first enhancements that you get upon entry brain coding is the next thing you should ever want. All other things after your first brain coding procedure are just you spending you pocket money to stack change in your retirement fund."

Jet nodded. "Well what would you suggest I take?"

Ed thought for a moment. "Something tells me you like your current intelligence, low as it may be, as is." Jet wasn't sure what to say to this. "That said I don't think IQ enhancement would be best for you. What I think you need is an outcome receiver. It's a brain coding enhancement that allows you to view possibilities instantly, and sort out the personal best outcome based on logical reasoning and situational magnitude." Jet looked confused, and Ed giggled. "Simply it tells you the best decision to make for any given situation as far as your intelligence will allow. It also lists off the next best ten solutions for you in case you want to take an alternate path. I don't have it, but Henrietta in evolutionary studies does. She's farther ahead in her payment than me, and she has been here for only a few months. Granted she is a genius, but always knowing the eleven best decisions to make in any given situation is a valuable tool."

Ein barked a bit and Ed looked at him. "Well I hadn't thought of that one." Ein barked again, and Ed frowned. "Well excuse me for not having a brain that works fifty times faster than the average genius... Ein says that you should get a hard circuit brain coding." Jet, already starting to think on the outcome receiver was curious about the new option, and listened. "Since you are a more physical type of guy a hard circuit brain coding method may actually be a good run. It makes you think in what some of us here call Jock Math. For any given situation that would normally require high reasoning you ca come up with a more physical, or just plain simpler method. Some of the higher ups here in the complex choose it as a later enhancement because they end up thinking too advanced, and need to get a more basic look at things. To tell the truth it would fit well, but I personally think the outcome receiver would be better. Most people wait until they have a grasp of everything to get a hard circuit coding procedure since it tends to make people kind of... well kind of dumb. Despite the fact that it is efficient and a good fit for you I think that it would make you over simplified. Since your brain is already used to civilian thinking it may just make you a muscle headed retard, and I don't want you to have to pay for re-coding that may just set you back two or three more years on your retirement." Ein barked again, and Ed smiled. "I thought you might agree once I thought it all over. Your brain may be more efficient, Ein, but mine is more contemplative. "

Jet sat, and thought for a moment. It couldn't be so bad to know the right decisions for any situation. Still Jet had always been good at coming up with start ideas for any given moment as it was. It would be a bit of a waste to just make a bit better a skill that e had already honed so well. Still a came up from behind him as a man with wild red hair, and a deep Scottish accent sat down beside Jet. "Ya know, ah don't think you two a' you are headin' quite the right direction with the man. I have seen 'im work, ya know..." This was William, a man who worked beside Ed all of the time. In fact, according to Ed, William was her superior, yet it always seemed like Ed was giving him orders. "I am thinkin' the best thing for Jet would haf'ta be an unlock codin'."

Jet looked at Ed for the details, and the redhead was glad to fill in. "I don't know why you brought that up William, you don't even have one of those, and they are so expensive over time..." she looked at Jet, and sighed. "An unlock brain coding is one of the higher rated brain codings. They go deep, deeper than any brain coding, and unlock the hidden potential of the human brain. It's the closest thing to full body digitalization that we have that would let you stay in a human body. Through unlocking your human brain's full potential it would allow you to come up with the most insane ideas, all capable of working if executed right. You would have the potential to be a genius, but remain at the same general intelligence at all times. It's hard to explain if you actually aren't a genius really..." Ed seemed at that moment to be struggling with her words. "It's kind of like interacting with a evolutionary switch. If your brain is coded to unlock then it could cause it to activate all sorts of effects in your body. Of course very little would go far beyond the human threshold, but the few scientists that I know that have had an unlock brain coding procedure think well beyond my potential, and yet they are, overall, less intelligent. It would give you the ability to survive, and function perfectly with two hours of sleep a day, half the food. In fact an unlock brain coding is more like a full body enhancement, but far more expensive. It does pay off over time, but only if you buy matching sets."

"How well does it pay off, if you don't mind me asking." Jet asked, curious to see how well worth it this procedure was. Already it wasn't sounding too bad.

Ed looked at Jet as though kind of hurt, and kind of angry. "It pays off alright with the correct standing sets. If you don't get the right ones though, you will end up low in your money."

"The only man to ever resign, and get 'is Half Price Card had the same procedure..." William cut in.

Ed stared daggers at William, and continued. "But that was just good luck. He got all of the right stuff, that's all."

Jet held his hand up for Ed to stop. "It sounds about right for me. After all if that guy could get by with it why can't I?"

Ed looked at Jet as though he had hurt her, but nodded. "I suppose, but when you are way in debt because of it I am not going to help you..."

Jet smiled and patted Ed on the head, mussing up her hair. "It's alright, Ed. I'll be fine. I am more of an adult than you after all and I know how to make my own decisions."

Later that day Jet signed up for the procedure, and when he got into the surgery room. All around him were various different robotic arms, and tools that didn't at all look pleasant to use. A dulcet voice came out on the speaker. "Good day Jet, please strip, and lay down on the table. I am Emily, and I will be operating on your today. It says that you signed up for an Unlock Bran Coding procedure, is that correct?"

Jet started to strip unsure of where the operator was as the room ad no mirrors, or windows, or even vents. It was all just a white room that aside from the door, had no way for even air to get in or out. "Yeah, that's right."

Emily spoke up on the speaker again. "It's a relatively long procedure, in truth, but the results are wonderful. Unfortunately it does have a high fatality rate the first time, but I promise that if you die on the table we'll bring you back right away, and finish up."

This didn't help Jet feel any better about the procedure, but reluctantly he laid down on the warm steel bed. "So... what exactly is going to happen here? Do I have to count down from a hundred or something while you dope me up?"

A small chuckle came from the speaker. "That actually comes later, Jet. For now I just need to examine you. Please lay still while everything happens, feel free to speak if you wish. A lot of the scientists find that conversation is a good way to relax before the procedures, and I personally enjoy it before going to work." Slowly the robotic arms started to move, some small ones with little hammers, and lenses, and such coming down first. It was all like a regular doctor appointment, some of the arms moving to point lights in Jet's eyes, and ears, and examining him all around. "I have seen you around with Ed. She is a nice girl, albeit a bit wild at times. She'll learn." Emily said through the speaker.

Jet smiled a bit, and spoke up. "So.. Emily... Do you have this brain coding thing I am getting?"

Emily paused, but quickly enough responded. "If I remember correctly I do. I think it was my thirteenth brain coding. I have had over two hundred now so it is hard to remember as eidetic memory was one of the brain codings I have so far neglected to get, but that as well is on my list. Don't worry, it is all very easy going. Unlike many of the prosthetics, brain codings can't develop emotion, and are easier to maintain. If you have a lot of them like me they practically maintain themselves without need of being checked. According to your file you were a bounty hunter before entering the complex, yes?"

Jet answered with a "yeah" but didn't want to speak more than that.

"Back when I was a civilian I had a husband who was a bounty hunter. He was very nice, but he eventually got killed by some high up bounty head. Shame really, but I dealt with it. Alright, the examination is done. Now I believe it is time for that counting backwards that you seemed so fond of. I'm going to place this mask on your face, and I want you to start counting back from a hundred. Go ahead, and start."

Jet saw the mask come down, and felt it hit his face, and began counting. "One hundred, ninety...." Right then Jet blacked out, the fast acting sleeping gas knocking him out with his first breath. When finally he did wake up he was in a new white room, a mirror on the far wall where he assumed people were looking in from the other side. Slowly he sat up, and put his hand to his head which didn't even have a bandage, or stitching on it. In fact it didn't seem like anyone had done anything at all. Jet felt just as he had before. He looked at the mirror, and spoke out. "Hey, anyone out there?"

A familiar voice that Jet knew as Emily was heard from the speaker. "Sorry about that, Jet. I was doing something with your files back there. I should have addressed you when you first woke up. Well I do have good news, though. The operation was a complete success the second time around. We did lose you for a few hours back in the first procedure, but I brought you back good as new, and continued the procedure with complete success."

Jet was a bit confused. He had seen no light at the end of any tunnel, or met god or whatever dying was supposed to be like. "So I died? I don't feel like I died."

Emily's voice came out of the speaker in a short giggle. "Of course you don't feel like you died. Dying doesn't feel like anything in particular, I have died maybe a hundred times under the knife. Often the first time around a scientist dies in a brain coding procedure from the shock of the brain being reset, or reprogrammed. It's a rather normal thing, really. I am sure that if you come back for any more brain codings you will die another time, and we'll just bring you back from it, and finish up. So tell me, how do you feel? Try moving about for a bit, see how it all works for you."

Jet nodded, and stood up with no difficulty. He walked around a bit, and moved his arms, and head to test if anything was ender, or in pain, and surprisingly nothing felt bad. In fact he felt good as new, just like when he had come out of the med tank when he first was de-aged. "I feel fine. I don't eve feel like I haver changed. Are you sure you did the procedure, and you're not just joking with me?"

Emily giggled again. "Of course not, I wouldn't joke about something like that. It doesn't surprise me that you don't feel any different. The Unlock procedure is a long, and complicated one, but outwardly you will notice it much less than many other brain codings. While some brain codings like the intelligence heightening ones will be noticeable immediately he unlock coding is very subtle. You probably won't even notice it working until you have fully adapted to the change. Try seeing how much you sleep every night for the next few weeks, or how much you notice things over the next few hours. Try hard enough, and I am sure you will see a noticeable difference. If not then it is all the better, and you have simply adapted with complete success. Please step into the door to the right of the mirror, and there will be a scientist to escort you out."

Jet nodded, and stepped to the door that somehow had appeared just to the right of the big mirror. Of course Jet was expecting Emily herself to escort Jet out, but instead he saw a cougar on the other side of the door, a little pair of glasses on it's broad nose, and an outright bored expression on it's feline face. Jet jumped a bit, but quickly straightened up. Why should he be surprised that there was another animal working as a scientist in the complex? The cougar walked with Jet to a small room where a new suit, waited for him. He quickly got dressed, looking back every so often at the cougar to make sure it didn't try to eat him or something. The animal just sat in place watching him, though, bored expression as present as when Jet first saw it. Finally when Jet was done dressing, and was escorted out to the waiting room he noticed that Ein was sitting on a chair patiently. He smiled, and walked up to the small dog, scratching Ein's head. "Hey Ein, you came to wait for me?"

Ein looked up, and barked, shaking his head a bit, and gesturing to another door which had a little red light on above it. "Ah, somebody else you are waiting for then?" Ein nodded. "Whose in there anyway?" Ein looked at spike, but didn't make any noise. The dog knew better than to speak. He was fully aware that Jet didn't know what he was going to say, and Jet knew that as well, not really blaming the dog for staying silent. The cougar walked off into a different room, and Jet sat down by the Ein. "Mind if I wait with you? I don't have anything to really do today, what with not having a really official position here in the complex.." Ein looked up at Jet, and cocked his head sideways before looking back at the door with the little light over it. Jet took that as an open invitation, and scratched Ein's head again.

An hour went by, and the light turned off. Jet had managed to find a magazine at the reception desk, and was trying to make sense of it, but it was full of crazy mathematic equations, and algorithms, and everything looked like it was written in binary which Jet didn't exactly know by heart. Still Ein's bark alerted him to the door, and from it he noted a massive polar bear walking out. It made sense that Ein was waiting for another animal. Still the polar bear moved aside, and behind him Ed walked jerkily out into the waiting room. "Ed? Are you alright, Ed? You look a little... Shaky." Ed closed her eyes as though in pain, and nodded rather fast. She began to speak, but he speech was so quick that Jet couldn't make it out. "What did you say Ed? I couldn't make it out.."

Ed closed her eyes again in concentration, and spoke, though it looked difficult for her to speak at a normal rate. "I am fine. I had some brain... coding... altered time rate..." Jet looked at Ed for a moment. So this is what she had been talking about. She was having trouble slowing down which was why she was moving so jerkily, and speaking so fast. Jet could only imagine what he sounded like at half speed, it must have been difficult to make out to say the least. "Problem... with the procedure. They made me too fast. Everything twice as slow... as I would have liked." Ein barked, and Ed cringed before jerkily walking to Jet. "I wanted two... subjective seconds to every one objective but... got four..."

"Are they going to fix it, then?" Jet asked.

Ed shook her head at super speed, before laboriously stopping it, and shuddering. "No... but they agreed not to charge for the procedure... I got this free..."

Jet smiled a bit. At least the complex staff knew when they did something wrong, and made amends for it. "I am guessing that you don't get paid for this then, right?"

Ed shuddered, her whole body looking to have wanted to do something, but had changed it's mind half way into things. "Still paid. Got lucky. Getting paid for actual procedure. Not for one I was meant to have. More money for free." Ed smiled wide but only for an instant, then her face went back to a pained, distracted one.

Jet smiled, and took Ed's hand. " Come on lets all get to the room. I probably have a for there I need to fill out. You want me to carry you, or something?"

Ed paused as though trying to process something just told to her at quarter speed, and then shook her head very fast. "Need to cope. Need to move... onmyown." Ed cringed for a moment, and shuddered again. "Just... hold my hand.... ifImoveto...faast I neeed someone time catchme." Half of Ed's words were fas, and jammed together, and the other half were stretched as though Ed was purposefully trying to slow them down which was probably the very case at that moment, but Jet understood. Ed couldn't be carried around or else she wouldn't get used to slowing down to the rate that the rest of the world moved. Jet couldn't imagine how Ed felt, but doubted he would be too thrilled to get such a brain coding as this one. Even at double speed he guessed that it would be difficult to cope with things, but at quad speed the world must have been standing still to Ed.

"Alright, I'll guide you there." Jet said. The three began to walk to the room. Ed was jerky at times, or too slow, and sometimes she would just take off running at thirty miles an hour down a corridor, and dragging Jet along with her only to stop an inch from a steel wall. Jet had to catch him self a few times as he was about to tell Ed to slow down only to realize that the redhead simply couldn't do such a thing. It wasn't her that was speeding up any more, it was the world that had drastically slowed down. Finally after the two got to their quarters had Ed managed to cope with her new time frame. Her movements were still a bit jerky at times, but her speech had straightened out for the most part. Although it was still a bit fast it was at least understandable, and not at all stressed. "You feelin' a bit better now, Ed?"

Ed nodded slightly. "Ya, my head is thumping, and everything is so slow. I never realized that it would be this difficult to cope with an accelerated time rate. It's like moving at quarter speed at all times. My muscles ache just moving at half speed like I did back in those halls."

Jet's eyes opened wide. "That was only half speed? What would full speed be like?"

Ed shrugged quickly. "I am guessing around fifty miles an hour... I moved a bit faster than normal people even before the procedure so fifty sounds about right. Good god it is agonizing to not move. Every time you speak it's like listening to a song on super slow. It takes so much effort just to hear myself speak at your speed. Shouldn't have ever gotten that, but at least I got it free, and I am still being paid for the quadruple acceleration instead of just the double acceleration. So who did your procedure? Did it go well?"

Jet smiled. "I don't really know... I don't feel different at all. But Emily did it, though I never saw her."

Ed smiled. "That's normal. Unlock doesn't normally have post procedure signs... And nobody ever sees Emily. I think I once saw one of her hands, but that's about it. I got Max; He's notorious for going overboard, and costing everyone lots of money. But since he fucked up so bad this time Emily had to be called in, and told him that he went too far. She told me over the intercom that my procedure would be free of charge since my rest time will now take so long. Three weeks of doing nothing, and already it seems like three days have gone by, and I know it's only been twenty minutes." Ed looked a Jet. "Come to think of it you should have three weeks off too. Unlock procedures take such a toll on the brain that it takes roughly three weeks for the act of new thinking to be fine tuned. You should be free from any assignments along with me for a while. How about we tour the complex. It'll help me cope with my new... experience..."

Jet smiled, and nodded. "That sounds good. I'd be glad to walk around the complex with you. I haven't seen even half of it yet so it will be a good thing." Jet just hoped that Ed wouldn't start "walking" at full speed and leave him a mile behind.

Hey all! Hope you liked it! Ya, Faye is crazy cool in this fic! She isn't gonna play a major part actually, if fact she won't even be around much at all. For the most part she will hang out in the transportation research division most of the time in this Fic since she is gonna be working there. As you can see Ed had a bit of a problem with her own Brain Coding procedure. She originally was supposed to have an accelerated time brain coding procedure that would split each objective second (the second we experience normally) into two subjective seconds. (the seconds she experiences) Instead she ended up with twice that, and so she sees the world at four times to speed we do, and consequently moves that fast as well. The reason that it takes three weeks to get used to is not only because she has to learn to cope with the altered time rate, but because her muscles do as well, and maybe as a follow up she needs to get them replaced, but she has already had them worked on for strengthening so that isn't gonna happen XP

Also if any of you can't help but notice that there are no last names here there is a VERY good reason for that. Nobody in the complex has the same first name, and if they do when they come in they are assigned a new one, and live after that as such. Jet is, at least in the complex, just Jet, and Ed just Ed. In case you were wondering because they will return in later chapters the Cougar's name is Phoebe, and the polar bear that was with Ed is Goliath they are what some of the complex calls Jacks, short for Jack of all Trades. They are data animals like Ein, but they have no particular specialty, or simply choose no specific fields, and just do anything that needs doing. They are Jacks of all trades, Masters of whatever the hell kind of problem may happen to arise.

Yours,

Tankou001


End file.
